Puzzles for Teachers
Browse an extensive collection of printable puzzles, brain teasers, mazes, crosswords, digital activities and a whole lot more to challenge your elementary students in fresh and fun ways!
This teaching resource collection is teacher-created, with curriculum-aligned and editable resources available for both lesson planning and adding to your fast finisher activity box or sub binder!
Curious about using puzzles in your classroom or looking for fresh ideas? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
Types of Puzzles
There's a whole host of puzzles out there you can use to get your students more engaged in learning, develop problem-solving skills, and reinforce the concepts you're teaching! Here are a few favorites from our teacher team (and you'll find printable versions of many of these in this collection)!
- Picture puzzles — Picture puzzles are a great teaching tool that require kids to use visual perception and problem-solving skills to identify patterns or differences in a set of pictures.
- Crossword puzzles — Often used by adults, these puzzles are kid-friendly too! They offer up written clues and require students to fill in a grid with words that intersect with each other.
- Tangram puzzles — These challenging puzzles for kids involve using a set of geometric shapes to create a larger picture or design.
- Logic puzzles — This learning tool requires kids to use reasoning and deduction to solve a problem. They usually involve a set of clues that need to be used to figure out the solution.
- Word searches — In this type of puzzle, a grid of letters is given with a list of words to find hidden within it. Students are challenged to go on the hunt for the word, often reading up, down, diagonally, and sometimes even backward!
- Spot the difference — A popular feature in kids' magazines, these require our students to find the differences between two nearly identical pictures.
- Sequence puzzles — Sequence puzzles involve arranging a series of objects or symbols in a particular order, based on a set of rules or patterns. For example, students may practice skip counting as they place puzzle pieces in order based on the numbers displayed on each piece.
- Maze puzzles — Yes, mazes count as puzzles! They challenge kids to find their way through a maze to reach a goal or endpoint.
- Matching games — This is another type of puzzle you may not think of as a puzzle per se, but it is! Matching games involve finding pairs of matching items, such as shapes, colors, or numbers, in a set of cards or objects.
- Tarsia puzzles — Similar to jigsaw puzzles, tarsia puzzles are made up of irregularly shaped pieces that fit together in a specific way to form a larger picture or pattern. This type of puzzle has a twist, however! In a Tarsia puzzle, each piece contains a problem or question related to a particular topic or subject area. The students must match the pieces together by finding the correct answer or solution to each problem or question. Once all the pieces have been matched, they form a larger picture or pattern that provides a visual representation of the topic or concept being studied.
How Do You Use Puzzles in the Classroom?
Whether you're using mazes to teach math or crossword puzzles in your reading centers, this is a versatile learning tool! Here are a few of the times they can come in handy:
- Introducing new concepts
- Reviewing concepts students have learned
- Reinforcing problem-solving skills
- Collaborative learning
- Learning through play
- Differentiated instruction
- Free Plan
Earth Day Word Search - Printable
Identify environmental terms with this Earth Day word search.
- Free Plan
Mini-Mystery – Which Key Opens the Door?
Use knowledge of 2-D shapes and right angles to solve the mystery in this fun, logic-based activity.
- Free Plan
Empathy Word Search
Introduce or review vocabulary terms related to empathy with this free word search worksheet.
- Free Plan
Complex Dot-to-dot Worksheet – Ordering Fractions and Decimals (Cat)
Practice ordering fractions and decimals with this complex dot-to-dot worksheet.
- Free Plan
Mini-Mystery – Who Stole the Cookie?
A fun, logic puzzle activity where students read clues to solve a mystery.
- Free Plan
Personal Qualities Word Search
Explore different personal qualities with your students with this printable personal qualities word search.
- Free Plan
2D and 3D Shapes Crossword with Solution
A crossword with clues for both 2D and 3D shapes.
- Free Plan
The Constitution for Kids - Bill of Rights Word Search
Find and discuss words related to Constitution Day with a printable Bill of Rights word search.
- Free Plan
Synonym and Antonym Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary skills and boost your students’ knowledge of synonyms and antonyms with a crossword puzzle worksheet.
- Free Plan
Recycling Word Search
Build your students’ vocabulary around the topic of recycling with this recycling-themed word search.
- Free Plan
I Spy Oral Language Activity
Encourage the development of oral language with this fun "I Spy" activity.
- Free Plan
Energy and Electricity Crossword Puzzle
Reinforce science vocabulary with an energy and electricity crossword puzzle.
- Plus Plan
Animal Classes Word Search Pack - Upper Grades
Review vocabulary related to animal classes and characteristics of animals with a pack of printable animal classification word searches.
- Plus Plan
Days of the Week - Months of the Year Word Search
Practice spelling the days of the week and months of the year with printable Day and Month Word Search worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Kindness Word Search
Download a printable word search about kindness for elementary school to explore this important aspect of social awareness with your students.
- Free Plan
OW and OU Words - Word Search
Explore "ou" and "ow" words with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Plus Plan
Animal Classification Word Search Pack - Lower Grades
Introduce your students to the six animal types/classes with a pack of printable animal word search worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Elapsed Time - Math Maze Worksheets
Find start times, end times, and time elapsed to find your way through our printable Elapsed Time Math maze worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Area Model Multiplication Small Group Activity
Review multiplication using the area model with this small group activity.
- Plus Plan
Space Word Search
Review science vocabulary terms with an engaging space word search.
- Plus Plan
Long E Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common “long e” graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Plus Plan
Long Vowel Words - Long A Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common “long a” vowel teams with this set of differentiated word searches.
- Free Plan
Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Maze - 'Qq'
A fun maze to use when learning how to identify uppercase and lowercase letters.
- Plus Plan
Do YOU Have a Growth Mindset? – Word Search
Use this word search activity to show students the qualities and characteristics of creating a growth mindset in the classroom.
- Free Plan
Connect the Dots Printable Alphabet Worksheet (Robot-Themed)
Download the free connect the dots printable for your students to practice putting letters in alphabetical order.
- Plus Plan
Resilience Word Search
Use this resilience word search to immerse your students in the key vocabulary related to this important social-emotional skill.
- Plus Plan
Interior Angles of Shapes – Differentiated Mazes
Explore the interior angles of regular shapes with this differentiated, maze-inspired worksheet.
- Free Plan
Missing Part Path - Find the Missing Number Worksheet
Practice using various subtraction strategies with a fun dice-roll math maze.
- Plus Plan
Football Word Search - Printable
Get ready for the big game with a fun Football-themed word search puzzle printable.
- Plus Plan
Contractions Practice Worksheets
Reinforce the concept of contractions with eight worksheets designed for primary learners.
- Plus Plan
Spot the Difference
A fun game for students to try and find the differences between two pictures.
- Plus Plan
Mini-Mystery – Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?
A fun, logic-based activity where students read clues to solve the mystery.